A chocolate bunny or chocolate rabbit is a piece of

chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec civ ...

in the shape of a

rabbit Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit speci ...

, usually stylized, and generally hollow. The cocoa confection is related to the religious

Easter Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...

holiday that occurs annually around the months of March and April. The chocolate shaped bunny can be wrapped in a colorful tin-foil, a decorated box, or simply the chocolate itself.

History

The notable Easter Bunny was introduced to Christians by

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

folklore in the early 13th century. Stories of an egg-laying white hare fostered the popular egg and rabbit

theme and traditions. In the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

, rabbits are known for being a sign of fertility and new life in which the chocolate bunny now denotes to. Chocolate bunny molds are believed to have been first introduced in Germany and later brought to America. By the early 1920s chocolate bunnies became a household tradition in the United States to commemorate the holiday.

Preparation

Two separate bunny-shaped molds are filled with chocolate, which will later be connected to create the common hollow chocolate bunny shape. Once the molds are filled, machines shake the chocolate around to ensure complete and even filling. Many companies often wrap the hardened chocolate bunny in decorated foil to ensure freshness, while still being festive. The bunnies often come in cardboard and plastic packaging to ensure the delicate chocolate does not break.

Sales

Chocolate is one of the most commonly sold treats around the national Easter Holiday; in some years, chocolate sales can surpass $400 million a few weeks before the holiday. Chocolate bunnies can be found for sale in many

drugstores A pharmacy (also called "drugstore" in American English or "community pharmacy" or "chemist" in Commonwealth English, or rarely, apothecary) is a retail shop which provides pharmaceutical drugs, among other products. At the pharmacy, a pharmacis ...

and grocery stores in America a few months or weeks leading up to Easter. The religious holiday comes in second place, after

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...

, for selling the most candy during a holiday season. Today, the chocolate bunny is a staple for many

Easter basket An Easter basket, also known as a Paschal basket, is traditionally, a basket containing the foods traditionally forbidden to consume during Lent (meat, eggs, and dairy products), that is blessed by a priest for breaking the Lenten fast. This conti ...

s around the world. More than 50% of people in the United States prefer chocolate bunnies and eggs over other candies as their choice of an Easter treat. Due to their overwhelming popularity, over 90 million chocolate bunnies are produced yearly for consumers in the United States.

Controversy

There have been cases of choking and illness from the decorated foil the bunnies are often wrapped in, as well as concern regarding child exploitation marketing and exposure to early obesity linked to the popular chocolate. The Easter Bunny character is similar to the famous

Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...

figure used during the

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

season, particularly in the United States and Europe, to market products and signify the holiday. Some studies claim the Easter Bunny figure, which is a staple for the Easter chocolate and candy, is another example of child exploitation in holiday marketing techniques. Cases of choking related to foil wrappings used by chocolate bunnies and eggs have been reported and are another concern for some regarding the confection. Since 2000,

Lindt Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG, doing business as Lindt, is a Swiss chocolatier and confectionery company founded in 1845 and known for its chocolate truffles and chocolate bars, among other sweets. It is based in Kilchberg, where its ...

’s chocolate bunny was granted trademark status. This has led to several legal battles, including in 2011 against Hauswirth in a Vienna court, and by the supermarket Lidl in Switzerland.

References

{{Easter Easter food Chocolate confectionery

History

Preparation

Sales

Controversy

See also

References